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Thursday, August 28, 2008

REVIEW for Various Flavors of Coffee

TITLE: Various Flavors of Coffee

AUTHOR: Anthony Capella

DATE: August 26th, 2008

RATING: 4 stars

I received this book by the kindness of the author. Thank you Anthony!

I have read all of Anthony's previous books and this book is quite different. From the opening sentence, I knew I was going to fall in love with this book - I am also somewhat obsessed with the subject of a good cup of coffee myself - so this book took on a bit of a personal slant for me :)

We are introduced to Robert Wallis, poet extraordinaire (at least in his own mind) who, although quite impoverished, still manages to present the image of a snob and a finicky coffee drinker - which will lead him to a strange offer - working in the coffee trade.

Over the course of the novel, we will get to live Wallis' ups and downs for the next 20 years - in which he will make great discoveries both in his professional life, but more importantly in his personal life. As the reader, we will bear silent witness to Willis' growth as a human being and as a man.

For me, what worked best is the novel is the opportunity for the reader to live Willis' life and to experience what he experiences. Indeed, we start off actively disliking this young man - who will grow into a fine and kind man.

I don't usually like storylines that are set in the 1800's, but Capella tells this story in such rich detail that you can actually feel yourself sitting at the small cafe in England - sitting a cup of coffee. His descriptions of the actual coffees and the beans are so real that it just made me want to go out there and discover the best cup of coffee.

This book was a great accompaniement to a strong, bold cup of coffee - delish!